tie
omen trailing behind her. They had followed Anais'
scene in the pon
urve. A strange man, Pete, had his arms around her. In the water, their st
frantic thrashing made it look like she was figh
f disbelief. She nearly fainted. The person she had expe
d tearful confusion. "Mother! Look! I don't know what happened, sist
s vague, letting their imag
gan to whisper am
nger Miss Hamilton? What is she d
He looks like one
his is utterl
n, then to a shade of mottled purple. She whirled on me, her fi
streaming down my face. I was the perfec
could I harm my own sister? We were j
ined with my reputation as a timi
hauled a shivering Anais and
rray, makeup ruined. She threw herself
shed me!" Anais shrieked, poin
on the ground. "Mercy, my Lady! I was
her eyes burning with a venomous hat
away and give him a hundred lashes! And you, Jettie
uthority to bury the incide
ouldn't
ed about sister, but... but Pete was only trying to save her. And... and with so many ladies
nge. I had just reminded ever
ward. "Lady Elara, Jettie is right," she said with a frown. "This con
er for more drama, mu
that Jettie, the girl she had always controlled, would
ed the guards to lock Pete up for now and had ma
ted off the water, illuminating a sea of gloating faces. In the shadows, where
ley
hered around the pond, voices buzzing with scandal and excitement. I st
en I s
ng but a worthless stray, she had looked at
e crowd, I saw what no one else did. Behind t
raid. She was
h twitched. A low chu
a had grown te
lickered at the edge of my vision before I forced it down, but I could feel it-ancie
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